Return of the Champion
by M. J. Adamson
Summary: While discussing the fate of the Cerulean City Gym, Misty is abruptly called upon by Sabrina to meet her at the abandoned dojo only to learn that she has had a vision possibly relating to the disappearance of a trainer... Read more inside.
1. Death of a Hero

**TITLE:** Return of the Champion

**AUTHOR:** M. J. Adamson

**EMAIL:** aadamson [at] fullsail [dot] edu

**DISTRIBUTION:** This story is meant to be posted on FanFiction [dot] net and Tumblr [dot] com. Any other Web sites that may want to post this story must contact me at my e-mail for authorization.

**RATING:** T, for later chapters. Possibly a rating change later.

**GENRE:** Adventure/Suspense

**SUMMARY:** While discussing the fate of the Cerulean City Gym, Misty is abruptly called upon by Sabrina to meet her at the abandoned dojo only to learn that she has had a vision possibly relating to the disappearance of a trainer and that Team Rocket is somehow behind it – and the possible death of the former Viridian City gym leader, Giovanni.

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** I claim no ownership of the Pokémon series and any companies affiliated with it. This story is a revision of one I started publishing on November 28, 2003 and was later posted under the pen name M. J. Adamson at FanFiction [dot] net. It contains elements from the video games, anime series, and various manga-verses. If you would be so kind, please submit any constructive criticism and detailed feedback. Cheers!

Chapter One:

Death of a Hero

"Ladies and gentlemen, that concludes our show for today! I'd like to thank everyone for coming out here and supporting the Cerulean City Gym," Misty said standing atop the small rock island with Staryu and Starmie scuttling about her legs, "and as always, we're still taking donations to help with the reconstruction project to return this gym back to its former glory."

The crowd, mainly consisting of elderly men and women and their grandchildren, applauded Misty as she bowed, but once the red-orange curtain of hair fell in front of her eyes, the smallest of grins was spotted by the two Pokémon. Opening one eye and winking at them, she whispered as quietly as possible, "You know what to do!"

Without a moment's notice, Staryu and Starmie dove into the water and the crowd fell silent, their attention rapt by the two show-stealers. Children stood up in their seats, trying to peer down into the murky depths of the pool and their grandparents sat on the edge of their seats. Young and old alike had no earthly clue of what was about to happen next, and then all of a sudden, a high-pitched whistle filled the aquatic center from wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling. Leading the spectacular finish was Dewgong, leaping from the water and high into the air, bringing with it the rest of the Cerulean City gym's water friends. Tails swished in the air and a line of Horsea playfully squirted the front row of the audience, causing an eruption of laughter to fill the gym.

Lurking near the entrance, Daisy, Lily, and Violet smiled proudly toward their little sister who had grown so much in the years following her journey with the trainer from Pallet Town and their friend from Pewter City. Over the years, the crowds their shows used to draw in began to dwindle, and eventually, Lily and Violet felt that it was time to leave Cerulean City in search of a new future. Both sisters eventually settled down in separate regions, much to Daisy and Misty's dismay, and came to visit their sisters every once in a while. Daisy, on the other hand, married Tracey Sketchit but still continued to live out her life in Cerulean City while he stayed behind in Pallet Town, helping Professor Oak with his research. In addition, she continued to lend Misty a hand by coordinating the water shows with the Pokémon and helping her run the gym. She still wasn't the best gym leader around, but under Misty's wing, she was beginning to understand the importance of truly challenging the trainers who came along searching for the Cascade Badge.

Once the audience had recovered from their joyful laughter, they began to file out of the aquatic center and head back home to a warm supper and bed. The sun was beginning to set and the small children accompanying their grandparents were growing tired, as shown by a small boy who stopped mid-walk with his grandfather to yawn. He only smiled at the small boy and picked him up, carrying him back to the car, but once the room was empty, the former Sensational Sisters sauntered up to Misty with grins lighting up their faces.

"That was like, so cool, Misty. Really amazing!" Violet exclaimed as she hugged her damp sister who had just began to pull herself out of the water.

She squeezed the water from her hair and immediately returned Staryu and Starmie to their Poké Balls. Daisy then threw her one of the towels sitting near the side of the pool and smiled when she saw the slightest of blushes creeping upon the former tomboy's cheeks. She gratefully accepted the cloth and began to dab at her face and sighed, eventually placing it around her shoulders while throwing a look in Daisy's general direction.

"I don't deserve all the praise. Daisy's a huge help when it comes to the choreography for the shows. I usually don't have time to teach the Pokémon the new routines because I'm _so_ busy challenging trainers," Misty replied while lightly scratching at the back of her neck and holding onto the ends of the towel.

It had been silently agreed upon by the two that they would not express their woes to Violet and Lily when they came for a visit every now and then. The insufficient funds generated by their performances were just that – insufficient; they had been relying on other means to support the gym, like calling upon the help of Sabrina, the leader of the Saffron City gym, and Professor Oak. Although they loved putting on the shows for the little ones and their grandparents, it just wasn't enough, and when Misty had come to see Sabrina, she had already set aside a bit of money she had scraped up.

"I can't accept this, Sabrina," she had declined with an apologetic glance, but Sabrina had already known she was going to say that and insisted that she take the envelope.

"Think of it as making up for all the years I never bought you a birthday or Christmas present," she responded with a chorus of laughter upon which Gastly, Haunter, and Gengar joined in.

Ever since then, Misty would randomly receive small packages of money by way of the aforementioned Gastly who eventually became very familiar with the streets of Cerulean City. Professor Oak, however, had been lending his help by giving her the latest of technology to update the gym and even had Tracey send over a few Machamp during the summer to make repairs to the gym and help her plan out the reconstruction, but both Sabrina and Professor Oak knew that it was going to take more than just their generous donations to keep the failing gym alive, a fact that Misty was afraid of – even more so than Daisy.

Placing a hand upon her hip, Lily spoke.

"This place could really use some sprucing up though," she said stating the obvious as her eyes scanned the ceiling.

She noticed that a lot of the metal framing was rusting in its old age and wondered why her oh-so-responsible sisters had never bothered to replace it, but as always, she didn't voice her concern, which was one of the many reasons why she had decided to leave the city in the first place. She knew that she wasn't cut out to be a gym leader, not like Daisy and Misty were. Even Violet would've been a better candidate!

"Yeah…" Daisy said, trying to fill the awkward silence that ensued and to hide the guilt that both she and Misty felt for failing at the task that had been handed to them by their loyal sisters, but it was no use.

Misty knew that it was time to come clean with the secret they'd been keeping from their sisters for so long, but before she even had a chance to say a word, the small waterproof phone hidden inside a pocket located in her bathing suit began vibrating.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, tickled by the wriggling sensation against the slippery skin of her back and immediately extracted it.

Spying the name on the phone, a grave look settled itself upon her features. Of course, Violet and Lily were absolutely clueless as to what was going on, but the look of worry that crossed Daisy's face was undeniable, and soon the other two sisters began to realize that something just wasn't right.

"Look… uh, I gotta take this call," Misty stammered.

"It was nice talking to both of you, but I have a feeling I'm gonna have to scoot out of town in the next few minutes. Sabrina only calls me if she feels it's important," she said taking a few steps back, her body-weight shifting from one foot to the other.

All three sisters stared at her, trying to calculate her next move, but once Misty found her opportunity to make a break for it, she had spun on her heel and high-tailed it out of there. They could do nothing but exchange glances between each other in total silence, but the feeling of being left out of the loop proved to be too much for Violet, for it was at this precise moment that she crossed her arms and stamped her feet in frustration upon the ground, biting her lip and balling her fists up to keep herself from shouting at her beloved sister. In the end, she lost that battle and threw an accusing finger in her direction.

"Daisy, what is going on here? Why are you and Misty _both_ acting so weird? And _why_ does this gym look like it's falling apart?"

Lily had to admit that those were some good questions because as soon as she walked into the gym, she felt that something about it was somehow… different, that the building felt draftier than it already had when she walked along the corridors dripping wet from an afternoon swim. And so, she stood behind her sister, mimicking the same posture with a look just as accusing as the finger pointed straight at Daisy's nose.

Sighing, she knew she was in for a long explanation.

"Look, why don't we take this to the dressing room?" she suggested.

"I'll explain everything there."

Finally stopping to catch a breath, Misty leaned forward and placed her hands upon her knees then wiped the nervous sweat from her forehead. She took a look behind her, and when she saw that nobody was following her, she slowed her paced as she headed for her bicycle. All of her life, she had fought hard to prove to her sisters that she was destined to become the Cerulean City gym's greatest water Pokémon trainer, but being the runt of the family, her sisters had given her a very hard time when she was younger; however, Daisy had seen the potential in her and chose to stay behind, which was a change from the strained relationship she'd had with her as a child. But for Violet and Lily to show up at a time like this when the gym was at its absolute worst and to see her failing so miserably at the job she boasted she was the best at was just too much for her. She couldn't handle the looks her two estranged sisters were giving her, and so she just ran as fast as she could. But at least she had a destination in mind: Saffron City.

She quickly unlocked the bicycle from the rack, wondering what could be so important that Sabrina would actually go to the length to call her. It wasn't like the woman was attached to her phone. She simply had one because she considered it to be professional practice when someone needed to reach her, but she never used her phone to make personal calls. She'd rather send Gastly or one of the other ghost Pokémon from the gym.

This was a first.

She gulped as she began pedaling in a southerly direction, passing the department stores and then finally the day care center. From there she knew it would only be a few hours traveling down Route 5 by bicycle before she finally made it to the City of Lights. As she followed the path though, she began to grow nostalgic and long for the old days when she traveled the region with Ash and Brock. With a snicker, she remembered when they first entered Saffron City and were greeted by Jesse, James, and Meowth in disguises. It wasn't often that she thought of the criminal trio, but when she did, she wondered what happened to them. After all, Team Rocket disbanded. She couldn't imagine them doing anything else but conning people out of their Pokémon and money, even if they were lacking in the criminal activity department.

On her way into the city, her eyes kept a close watch on the people surrounding her. The text message she received from Sabrina said to be discreet but to enter the abandoned dojo. Other than that, she knew nothing more, and so carefully she slipped in-between the dojo and the Saffron City gym, leaning her bicycle against the building. She carefully crept out from the shadows, determined not to make a sound as she slipped into the dojo. She felt a chill run up her spine once inside though. With the doors closed and no lights on, she could barely see a foot in front of her, but then she turned around and bit her tongue to keep from screaming. Behind her, a Gastly floated in the air. Like bug Pokémon, she wasn't sure if she could ever get over ghost Pokémon.

"That's enough, Gastly," Sabrina's voice echoed from further within the dojo.

She clapped her hands and two rows of candles instantly lit themselves, creating a path for Misty that led to Sabrina and Officer Jenny. With a soft smile upon her face, she made her way toward the two women sitting upon the floor and then looked up at the Gastly who had scared her previously, sticking her tongue out at it.

"I hope your trip was safe, Misty," Officer Jenny greeted.

She, of course, looked like all the other Officer Jennys in every city, town, and region: blue hair and red, piercing eyes that were clearly judgmental; however, that judging stare was removed from her face and instead had been replaced by a look of worry not dissimilar to the one Misty had been sporting earlier when Sabrina had called. She had hoped that their meeting tonight wouldn't be so serious, but having to meet in the privacy of an abandoned dojo in near-complete darkness only increased her worries.

"What's going on?" Misty questioned Sabrina, looking deep into those wise, blue eyes.

Taking a breath she turned to Misty, not sure whether or not she should be completely honest with her. She could feel the heavy burden of the gym's fate on her mind, the embarrassment she'd felt in front of her sisters, and the anger and frustration she still kept bottled up inside of her after Ash had left. The way she saw it, the information she held would either make or break her, but thankfully, Officer Jenny stepped in.

"In the past few years, I've heard from my cousin in Celadon City that there's been some suspicious activity at the underground path," she said straightening her posture, "and that trainers have been breaking into it with their Pokémon. She caught a boy a few days ago trying to break in with his Rhydon, but he refused to tell her anything about it."

Misty's brow furrowed, wondering what those trainers could possibly want with the underground path. It had been sealed off by Cerulean City to reduce criminal activity in the area, but now that Team Rocket had been disbanded, it was virtually useless. Besides, it was too dangerous to travel though anyhow.

"But why?" Misty asked to which Officer Jenny only shook her head.

"No one knows, but seven months ago, Giovanni returned to Viridian City. His reasons for doing so were never clarified, but many of the citizens say he was ambushed by a group of men at Route 2 before he left," she replied.

Misty looked at her in confusion then down at the ground and back to Sabrina who couldn't look her in the eye. From the silence on both of their parts, she knew that Officer Jenny had possibly stumbled onto something horrible. She couldn't imagine what it could be though, but to use the word "ambushed"… that was a bit extreme. She calmly took a breath and cast her glance to the floor beneath her.

"And?" she asked.

"A lot of blood was left at the scene of the crime, and personally… I think it might be Team Rocket again," Officer Jenny said with an involuntary shudder.

Just the thought of Team Rocket gave her the creeps. She remembered when the town had been overrun by them when they took over Silph Co. She'd still been in high school then and didn't even dare think about leaving the campus without someone with her. If she did, she made sure that she had a bicycle with her so that she could escape a chase if need be.

"Around the same time," Sabrina chimed in, "there were rumors going around that a strong trainer had been spotted at the Ice Path on his way to Mahogany Town, but after Giovanni had been attacked at Route 2, the rumors about the strong trainer vanished."

An eerie silence fell between the three of them as Misty struggled to absorb the information she'd been told. It was getting very late, and although she was tired, she was distraught by this turn of events. Team Rocket was on the verge of rising again, Giovanni could possibly be dead, and now a trainer went missing from an area that is well-known for having been a testing ground for Team Rocket. It was clear to her that they needed to act quick but how?

"Right now, we must sit back and wait, Misty," Sabrina commented upon hearing her thoughts.

"For all we know, that trainer's life could very well be in danger… _if he's not already dead_," she added silently, hoping that perhaps Misty wouldn't hear her, but of course, she had.

"What do you mean? Are you saying that Team Rocket may have killed two people in order to cover up their next plot?" Misty asked horrified, standing up and towering over the Saffron City gym leader.

Sabrina wasn't intimidated by her, but she understood when Misty took that stance that convincing her otherwise was pointless. She had already asked her to come this far, so she might as well tell her what she saw, even if it would cause her pain.

"Misty… I had a vision recently of a trainer floating face down in the water. From the rumors that have been circulating as of recent, I think it's safe to say that the trainer spotted on the Ice Path is the same trainer I saw in my vision," Sabrina reasoned, but she paused for a moment, taking a deep breath as she searched for the right words.

"I'm almost positive that it's Ash. Misty… I'm so sorry…"


	2. Flashback

**TITLE:** Return of the Champion

**AUTHOR:** M. J. Adamson

**EMAIL:** aadamson [at] fullsail [dot] edu

**DISTRIBUTION:** This story is meant to be posted on FanFiction [dot] net and Tumblr [dot] com. Any other Web sites that may want to post this story must contact me at my e-mail for authorization.

**RATING:** T, for later chapters. Possibly a rating change later.

**GENERE:** Adventure/Suspense

**SUMMARY:** While discussing the fate of the Cerulean City Gym, Misty is abruptly called upon by Sabrina to meet her at the abandoned dojo only to learn that she has had a vision possibly relating to the disappearance of a trainer and that Team Rocket is somehow behind it – and the possible death of the former Viridian City gym leader, Giovanni.

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** I claim no ownership of the Pokémon series and any companies affiliated with it. This story is a revision of one I started publishing on November 28, 2003 and was later posted under the pen name M. J. Adamson at FanFiction [dot] net. It contains elements from the video games, anime series, and various manga-verses. If you would be so kind, please submit any constructive criticism and detailed feedback. Cheers!

Chapter Two:

Flashback

As the sun began to set and was slowly falling behind the mountains, the sleepy little town began to experience cooler temperatures than it had throughout the day, bringing relief to the Pokémon and its citizens. Like the rest of the Kanto region, Pallet Town was in the middle of a summer drought. Gardens were shriveling up and the vegetation in the surrounding fields had already begun to dry out. Most of the wild Pokémon had formed herds and moved onto other towns within the region, hoping to find some form of food; those that didn't nearly starved to death and were picked up by trainers who brought them to the nearest Pokémon Center. It was unfortunate that the summer Ash returned to his hometown that things weren't the way he remembered them, but upon seeing his mother and Mr. Mime and the dinner she cooked, he was reminded that no matter what, some things always managed to stay the same, even through the hardest of times.

Later that evening, Misty had shown up upon hearing that Ash had returned for a short break. Since the gym had started failing in Cerulean City, she'd been spending quite a bit of time with Tracey and Professor Oak, trying to think of ways to revive its status and discuss future plans for its eventual reconstruction. She was surprised that even Gary wanted to find a way to help with her dilemma, and she was thankful for his generosity. Ash would've flipped if he knew that Gary was in on the plan too. She knew he'd see it as a form of competition between the two, and so she snickered as she carried her plate out to the porch and took a seat on the steps.

"What?" Ash asked obliviously, his mouth full of food and a few crumbs spilling out.

Misty glanced over at him for a few seconds and smiled, shaking her head as she took a bite of the dinner Delia had worked hard to prepare. She squeaked a small sound of delight, the food tasting just like she remembered. It was sad that as a woman in her twenties she still hadn't managed to learn how to cook, but she figured that eventually she would grow brave enough to try and do so on her own. It was just something that would come with age hopefully. At this point, there was no hope for Daisy. She didn't even bother to cook.

"Nothing, Ash. I'm just glad to see you again," she said with a smile as her blue eyes watched the sun set over the mountains.

There was something about Pallet Town that was oddly calming to a city girl like her. Even though she had spent so many years trekking with Ash and Brock over mountains, through forests, and over seas, she never felt like she was outside of the city enough, but maybe that was just because she had been swamped with the duties of being a gym leader for the last few years. She figured if she ever settled down that it would have to be a place like this, although she wasn't quite sure who would take over the gym – Daisy?

"Things really haven't been the same without you, you know. I come and visit your mother and Professor Oak often, but Pallet Town is so much quieter when you're not around," she admitted as she set her plate down for a minute.

A saddened look crossed Ash's face as he finished his last bite. While it was true that he had returned to Pallet Town for a short break from his training-as-usual, he'd also had a different mission in mind – one he knew that would break both Misty and his mother's hearts but something he felt that was important he must do. He leaned forward and sighed, staring hard at the ground. He wasn't even sure how he was going to tell her, nor was he sure how he was going to tell his mother. He explained to Pikachu earlier that once he arrived in Pallet Town, there was no turning back from this, but he could see in Pikachu's eyes that he didn't agree with what he was doing. Nevertheless though, he remained loyal to him.

"Misty, this isn't easy for me," Ash began, his body turning slightly towards her as he lifted his eyes from the ground, "but this will be the last time you, mom, Professor Oak, Gary… will ever see me."

He took a deep breath, not knowing what was going to happen next but continued before Misty could say a word.

"I think it's for the best that I leave – for good. I feel like I have to constantly watch my back to make sure that everyone close to me isn't in any danger, and if something happened to you or mom, I'd never be able to forgive myself."

Misty was absolutely blown away by his words. Ash wasn't always the most mature of the bunch, but he had always been responsible. Ever since he was a kid, he'd always been dealing with things that were way beyond his maturity level, but she had always figured it was because he felt like it was his obligation to lead the way since he didn't have a father around to guide him. And because he was so stubborn, he wouldn't let anyone else do so for him, but for Ash to be so selfish and run away from it all angered her.

"Ash Ketchum!" she exclaimed, her voice full of hurt.

"I'm old enough to take care of myself, and you know that I can hold my own in any battle that might cross my path. But your mother needs you! Even if you're not here most of the time, knowing that you'll eventually come back is what keeps her going."

He knew that Misty was going to react, but he figured that she would've at least maybe tried to understand what he was saying. At the most, he thought she would've just tried to talk him out of it, not scold him like he was five years old and without a clue. He clenched his fist and looked away, wanting to just block out what Misty had told him. He knew that his mother really did need him here, but at what expense? What if something happened to her while he was away, something that he could've prevented? He just couldn't take that chance. Too many people knew who he was, including small gangs of former Team Rocket members who still clung to their former glory. This was the main reason why he wanted to leave his loved ones behind. He just wanted to disappear off the radar.

"You just don't understand how dangerous it is out there, Misty," he tried to explain, but she would have none of that.

"_I_ don't understand? Ash, how many times have I willingly leapt into danger with you? You think you're the only one dealing with things that you shouldn't have to, but it isn't true! You're so wrapped up in your own little world that you don't see that the people around you are suffering too!"

It was at this point that Ash knew there was something on her mind, something that she hadn't gotten the chance to tell him the last time they talked. He remembered clearly when he was at the Pokémon Center in Goldenrod City that she was holding something back from him, but she just shrugged it off like it was nothing and wished him the best of luck and to be safe on his journey. Now that he was sitting with her face-to-face though, he felt that it was time that she came clean with him, tell him what was on her mind.

"Misty," he said scooting closer to her, his hand coming to rest upon her own, "you need to tell me what's going on. You're so bad at hiding these things."

Upon seeing the smallest of smiles creeping upon his face to break the tension, she followed with one of her own, taking a deep breath and then closing her eyes. She even chuckled the slightest bit before nodding and looking up at him again. Yes, she knew it was finally time to tell him exactly what was going on, why she felt so defensive about his leaving.

"Ash, I'm not sure how much longer the gym can hold out. Daisy and I still do the water shows, and I'm still challenging the trainers that pass through the city, but we don't have the money to keep it up. The gym is old and needs repairs, but we just can't afford it. I'm scared of losing everything that I've worked so hard for… and I'm scared of failing Violet and Lily," she confessed as a lone tear made its way down her cheek.

Ash could hardly believe what was coming from Misty's mouth. Even if the situation did seem a little bit hopeless, there were always ways to get around it. They could start new attractions, like a walkthrough aquarium or museum of fossils found in the sea. He just couldn't understand why Misty was giving up so easily when there were so many answers in front of her. What he didn't realize was that solutions weren't enough. She needed the support of the ones closest to her, and ever since Violet and Lily moved away from the city that support had began to dwindle.

He moved closer to her, his arm wrapping about her waist. With a sigh, she gave into his comforting touch and surrendered her head to his shoulder. It had been quite a while since the two of them enjoyed a quiet evening together, even the stars had come out to greet them. It was a sight she would've never seen had she been in the city, but then again, she probably would've been too wrapped up in her duties as a gym leader to even think about whether or not she could see the stars. Times like these were what made the most sense to her, times when the grueling hours of day and night came to a halt and the small yet intricate gears that kept them going ceased to function, if only for a little bit. Only when the world seemed to be at a standstill, like it did now, did she ever truly see what she wanted out of life. She just hated that she couldn't count on Ash to be the one to provide it for her.

"I don't know what I'm going to do without you," she sobbed.

Immediately, that took the cake. He felt like he was stealing candy from a baby. She was trying so hard to desperately cling to him because her dream of becoming a renowned water trainer was quite literally going down the drain, and it wasn't too long ago that he had set out on the journey of a lifetime to claim a dream of his own. He owed everything he had accomplished to this point to that Ho-Oh he'd seen in the sky that day and the friends who had agreed to follow him on his journey, and he was more than sure that the Ho-Oh he'd seen would've wanted him to pay it forward.

"Y-you don't have to worry about that," he stammered as he pulled his hat down, a classic signal that he was shedding his own tears as well.

"I'll come back home… but only when it's safe, Misty. But I promise you, I _will_ come back."


End file.
